Tonight's Movie: Moana (2026)

As a longtime member of Disney's D23 Club, I've had the opportunity over the years to attend some fun advance preview screenings of Disney films.

Those experiences have included TANGLED (2010) on the Disney Studios lot and CINDERELLA (2015) at the late, lamented AMC theater at Downtown Disney.

Earlier this week I attended my first D23 advance screening in quite some time, a preview of Disney's new live-action version of MOANA (2026) at the AMC in Orange, California.

I'm as tired as anyone of Disney making live-action versions of their films, although I truly loved CINDERELLA and found THE LITTLE MERMAID (2023) fairly entertaining. That said, since I've had positive experiences at D23 screenings and it was taking place fairly close to my home, I decided to give the new version of MOANA a whirl.

Things started out on a fun note when we were presented with some "swag" as we checked in, a MOANA-themed blanket and pen. Vouchers for free popcorn and soda were included with the ticket as well.

MOANA, of course, is a new version of Disney's wonderful animated musical MOANA (2016); it's hard to believe it's been an entire decade since that movie was released!

As was the case with THE LITTLE MERMAID before it, the MOANA trailer did not impress, but remembering that THE LITTLE MERMAID was better than I'd expected, I was hopeful I'd enjoy MOANA.

As it turned out, I was thoroughly entertained by MOANA and found it an unexpected, delightful surprise. While I had a number of criticisms of THE LITTLE MERMAID, I had no issues at all with MOANA, other than the bathroom "humor" which seems to find its way into every single Disney film in recent years, most recently TOY STORY 5 (2026); I'll never understand that.

I found MOANA to be a lovely rendering of the now-familiar story which was very well cast. Catherine Laga'aia was delightful in the title role as the adventurous chief's daughter who loves the sea and wants to save her tribe's dying island.

Laga'aia is on screen most of the movie, and I enjoyed her expressive features, sense of humor, and sparkling clear voice; her performance of "How Far I'll Go" was thrilling. Laga'aia communicated a sense of pure joy which was completely winning.

Among the supporting cast I especially liked Frankie Adams as Moana's mother Sina. She looked very familiar yet I don't seem to have seen any of her prior work. She was beautiful and did a very nice job conveying her emotions through relatively few words.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who voiced the demigod Maui in the original film, also enacts the part here; he has a wild-looking wig but is such fun in the part that the crazy hair is soon forgotten, or at least forgiven. He's quite funny as Moana's "frenemy," who strongly resists helping her in the quest to save her island but ultimately, of course, capitulates and proves himself a hero.

Funnily enough, this live-action film also had a fair amount of animation, whether it's Moana's crazy pet chicken Heihei or Maui's tattoos.

Owen Gleiberman of Variety wrote that MOANA is the best of Disney's live-action remakes; he didn't count the excellent CINDERELLA among that number as he didn't consider it a true remake. I agree on both points.

David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter pronounced MOANA "charming" and "directed with verve." Not all critics were so positive, but I completely agreed with these takes and cite them here to hopefully bolster the chances that potential audiences will give the movie a chance. It's a film which truly deserves to be seen and enjoyed.

Dare I say...I actually might have liked it better than the original? Or certainly at least equivalent to it. I love animated films, especially from Disney, and yet...I truly enjoyed watching this musical staged with live actors; moments such as the islanders' production number, "Where You Are," really struck a chord. And I can't understate how good Laga'aia is in the title role.

I was amazed to find it near the very top of my list of the new films I've seen so far this year. I smiled throughout and will definitely be watching it again in the future.

MOANA runs 115 minutes. It was directed by Thomas Kail and filmed by Oscar Faura.

MOANA is rated PG. Other than the bathroom humor, there are a handful of mildly scary moments, most involving the scary fire goddess at the heart of Moana and Maui's quest.

Recommended.

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Tonight's Movie: Rose-Marie (1936) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

The great releases keep coming from the Warner Archive Collection, with a packed slate of fantastic titles scheduled all summer long.

One of the Blu-rays I've been most excited to see is the brand-new release of Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy in one of their most beloved films, ROSE-MARIE (1936).

I reviewed the Warner Archive DVD of this film a decade ago, in 2016, and it was a joy to return to it via the Blu-ray. The Blu-ray, from a 1080p HD master from 4K scans of the "best available preservation elements," looks and sounds terrific.

Jeanette plays Marie de Flor, a famous Canadian opera singer who is distressed when she learns her brother John, nicknamed Jack (James Stewart), a convicted felon, has escaped prison after learning his application for parole was denied.

Marie heads into the wilds of Canada hoping to find and help her brother, motivated more by love than common sense, especially given that Jack killed a Mountie as he fled prison.

Once in Canada she is robbed and abandoned by her guide (George Regas), but Mountie Sergeant Bruce (Eddy) comes to her aid. Sergeant Bruce and Marie develop feelings for one another, but his sworn duty to find and bring in Jack necessarily complicates their burgeoning love.

MacDonald and Eddy are magical together; she's a firecracker opposite his calmer persona, but it's worth noting that Eddy is way better than some critics would suggest. The duo's personas balance once another in the best ways; there are good reasons they were such a popular team.

Much of the movie was shot outdoors, in the Lake Tahoe area, and the "fresh air" setting combined with MacDonald and Eddy's singing makes the film very special. Their duets are moving; when they reprise "Indian Love Call" at the end of the film, it gets me every time. There's just something about the beautiful music, the innocent performances, and the lovely music that makes me tear up.

The movie also has some real dramatic heft. The scene where Sergeant Bruce and Jack ride away from Rose-Marie is quite powerful, as Jack tells the sergeant something he'd like him to share with his sister in the future. Stewart only has a couple of scenes, but he makes the most of them.

The screenplay of this 113-minute film was by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett and Alice Duer Miller, from the play by Oscar Hammerstein II and Otto Harbach.

The movie was directed by W.S. Van Dyke and filmed in black and white by William Daniels.

The excellent supporting cast includes Reginald Owen, Alan Mowbray, Una O'Connor, Robert Grieg, and, in a single scene, David Niven (billed Nivens in the opening credits).

Disc extras consist of a cartoon, LITTLE CHEESER (1936); the short: HOLLYWOOD: THE SECOND STEP (1936); the trailer; and multiple radio shows including a Screen Guild Players production of ROSE-MARIE with Nelson and Eddy. The Blu-ray also includes a song selection menu for instant access to replay favorite musical moments.

I'm hoping that even more MacDonald-Eddy Blu-rays are on the way, following the releases of ROSE-MARIE and SWEETHEARTS (1938), and I encourage their many fans to support this release in order to help make that dream a reality.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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Tonight's Movie: Come Live With Me (1941) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

It's hard to believe that it's been close to a dozen years since I reviewed the COME LIVE WITH ME (1941) DVD released by the Warner Archive Collection!

In addition to reviewing the DVD, I also previously posted a brief review of the film way back in 2006.

Clearly, it's a movie I like a great deal, revisiting it every few years, so I'm especially happy that it's now just been released on an absolutely lovely Blu-ray.

The exquisite Hedy Lamarr was never more beautiful than in this film. She plays "Johnny" Jones, an Austrian refugee on the verge of being deported from the U.S. back to her native country.

The prospect of deportation is upsetting to Johnny for two reasons; one is that she expects to be killed upon returning to Austria, as her father has previously been "eliminated" for expressing opinions which angered the wrong people.

The other reason she doesn't want to leave is that she's in love with publisher Barton Kendrick (Ian Hunter). Kendrick, alas, is a married man with a smart and understanding wife, Diana (Verree Teasdale); he expects in time he'll be able to divorce Diana and marry Johnny but things are not yet at that point.

When a sympathetic deportation agent (Barton MacLane) suggests to Johnny that she get married in order to remain in the U.S., she promptly proposes to Bill Smith (James Stewart), a penniless writer she chanced to meet. Johnny offers Bill an income, allowing him to work on his writing, in exchange for a temporary marriage "in name only."

Bill is soon smitten with his platonic wife and begins a wonderful manuscript which quickly sells...to publisher Barton Kendrick. Kendrick buys it at his wife Diana's urging, but as he begins to read it he realizes the circumstances sound familiar...and becomes apoplectic as he realizes another man is in love with his would-be fiancee.

As I wrote in my 2014 review, the plotting isn't quite perfect; the transition of Johnny's affections from Kendrick to Bill is fairly abrupt, and the film could have used more than its 86 minutes to more thoroughly delineate the evolution of her relationship with Bill. (One also tends to wonder how a character as intelligent as Johnny became involved with a married man in the first place! The script does what it can to soften things, but still.)

That said, these minor issues in Patterson McNutt's screenplay seem to melt away every time I see this film, which as outlined above is one I return to often. While I noted in a past review that Stewart's character is on the cranky side, I particularly noticed on this viewing how well he conveys his longing for Johnny.

The concluding bits about fireflies and flashlights play perfectly every single time and leave this viewer very happy.

I feel that the light touch of director Clarence Brown is a big reason the film works as well as it does. While the script directs the characters to do things that in other hands might render them unappealing, all four of the film's leads remain enjoyable thanks to movie's overall pleasant, upbeat tone.

In fact, when Kendrick realizes near movie's end that his wife has maneuvered the situation with Bill and Johnny to suit herself and her affection for her husband, Kendrick exclaims with admiration for Diana.

Brown, incidentally, has had several films released by the Warner Archive recently, including POSSESSED (1931), which I just reviewed, and LETTY LYNTON (1932), which I'll be reviewing in the very near future.

The film was beautifully shot in black and white by George Folsey, which is showed off to perfection in this Blu-ray print, taken from a 1080p HD master from 4K scans of the original nitrate camera negative.

Even if the movie was a poor one, just spending an hour and a half or so looking at Hedy Lamarr in exquisite Adrian dresses would be enjoyable. And happily, it's a very likeable film for many more reasons.

The supporting cast includes Adeline De Walt Reynolds, Edward Ashley, Donald Meek, Ann Codee, and Frank Faylen.

Disc extras consist of a pair of shorts, AMERICA PREFERRED (1941) and FROM THE FOUR CORNERS (1941); the cartoon OFFICER POOCH (1941); and the trailer.

Recommended.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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Tonight's Movie: The Long Arm (1956) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

A few days ago I reviewed CAGE OF GOLD (1950), my first film watched from Kino Lorber's Brit Noir Collection I.

I'll be watching more from that set soon, but first I jumped over to the new Brit Noir Collection II, also from Kino Lorber Studio Classics, and watched THE LONG ARM (1956).

THE LONG ARM, also known in Britain as THE THIRD KEY, is exactly my kind of movie, a police procedural with enjoyable leads and extensive, interesting location shooting.

THE LONG ARM, like the other two films in the set, stars Jack Hawkins. Here he plays Scotland Yard Detective Superintendent Tom Halliday. It's of note that a couple years later he also played a Scotland Yard detective, in John Ford's GIDEON'S DAY (1958), which I hope to see soon.

Halliday is teamed for the first time with the younger Detective Sergeant Ward (John Stratton) and tasked with solving the overnight break-in of a safe.

It's a curious mystery as a supposed night watchman (Richard Leech) had let in police officers when the business's alarm went off -- but it turns out the real overnight watchman is in the hospital after emergency appendix surgery. It appears it was the burglar impersonating the watchman.

Soon there's another safe break-in at a different business, this time time resulting in a murder when the getaway car runs down a young worker (Ian Bannen).

Halliday and Ward painstakingly put together a series of clues and eventually arrive at a theory...

I love procedurals and found this a completely engrossing 96 minutes. The clues are nicely paced and interesting as they are discovered, creating a story which is both logical and believable.

Scenes with Halliday's wife (Dorothy Alison) and son (Michael Brooke) are somewhat less interesting, but they paint a sympathetic picture of what home life is like for a detective when he's in the middle of a hot case.

Hawkins is an actor I appreciate more as I see each of his movies, and he and Stratton, as his coworker, develop a friendly bantering relationship as they get to know one another, making this a fun watch.

Hawkins and Stratton, incidentally, had previously worked together on the excellent World War II film THE CRUEL SEA (1953). Director Charles Frend and cinematographer Gordon Dines also worked on both films.

The screenplay for THE LONG ARM was by Janet Green and Robert Barr from Barr's story, with additional dialogue by Dorothy and Campbell Christie.

The solid cast includes Geoffrey Keen as one of Halliday's colleagues; he's a familiar face as the minister of defence in several 007 movies, including my favorite THE SPY WHO LOVED ME (1977).

I've also seen Ian Bannen in a number of films from his long career, including EYE OF THE NEEDLE (1981), NIGHT CROSSING (1982), and HOPE AND GLORY (1987).

A sad note: None of the film's three leads, Hawkins, Stratton, or Alison, made it out of their 60s, dying at 62, 65, and 66, respectively.

The Blu-ray print and sound quality are excellent.

Disc extras consist of a commentary track by Laurence Lerman, plus half a dozen trailers for other films available from Kino Lorber.

Recommended.

Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray collection.

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Tonight's Movie: Ike: Countdown to D-Day (2004)

Independence Day weekend is always a good time to watch a patriotic film of any kind, and so I decided to watch IKE: COUNTDOWN TO D-DAY (2004), in which Tom Selleck stars as General Dwight D. "Ike" Eisenhower.

I bought this film in a sale several years ago but as so often happens, hadn't caught up with it yet simply due to so many viewing options. I lent the DVD to my late father in 2019, who commented "Very high recommendation on this film. Selleck was excellent."

My interest in seeing the film right now was sparked in part by my enjoyment of the new film PRESSURE (2026), as well as a D-Day revisit of THE LONGEST DAY (1962) last month.

IKE: COUNTDOWN TO D-DAY is a TV-movie which originally aired on cable's A&E Channel.

Written by Lionel Chetwynd and directed by Robert Harmon, the film traces General Eisenhower's decision-making process in the weeks and days leading up to D-Day on June 6, 1944.

Following the factual outlines of history means that IKE unfolds fairly similarly to PRESSURE, although in that case the focus was not just on Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser) but meteorologist James Stagg (Andrew Scott). In IKE Stagg is a supporting character in several scenes, played by Christopher Baker.

I found the contrasts between Selleck and Fraser's portrayals of Eisenhower interesting, having seen them spaced about a month apart. Selleck portrays Eisenhower as more confident and less emotional than Fraser's more hot-tempered Ike; Selleck's relatively calm and buttoned-down persona is more in line with my mental images of Eisenhower. He insists to Churchill that he must have full command; he receives data from his many colleagues but is then firm and decisive.

That said, Ike does lay into his colleagues when it's needed. In that vein, my husband felt the movie didn't do right by General Patton (Gerald McRaney), turning him into too much of a cartoon in his single scene, which I felt was a fair criticism.

Otherwise, I found it quite an engrossing 89 minutes which I enjoyed very much; it's not often I wish a film were longer, but I would have been happy if it ran closer to the 100 minutes of PRESSURE, just because I found it a very engaging and interesting watch.

One of the scenes I especially enjoyed was General Eisenhower presenting the D-Day plans to King George (Mick Rose) and Queen Elizabeth (Carol Seay), a bit of history with which I hadn't previously been familiar.

The supporting cast includes Ian Mune as Winston Churchill, Timothy Bottoms as Walter Bedell "Beetle" Smith, Bruce Phillips as General Montgomery, James Remar as General Omar Bradley, and John Bach as Air Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory.

The movie was filmed by David Gribble.

A curious note: Ike is seen watching the Technicolor film COVER GIRL (1944), but it's projected for the soldiers in black and white.

IKE: COUNTDOWN TO D-DAY would make a good double bill with DARKEST HOUR (2017), which focuses on Churchill during the earlier years of the war. It would also play well with THE GALLANT HOURS (1960), another film which focuses on high-level decision making by military leaders during the war, in that case Fleet Admiral Halsey (James Cagney.

The IKE DVD includes a commentary track with Selleck plus the writer and director, as well as a featurette. Optional English-language captions are provided.

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Around the Blogosphere This Week

Miscellaneous bits of news and fun stuff from around the Internet...

...Happy Independence Day, and Happy 250th Birthday to the United States of America!

...A new biography of director Frank Capra is on the way: FRANK CAPRA by Sam Wasson is due out from Harper in October.

...Farran Smith Nehme, aka the Self-Styled Siren, has republished a terrific piece she wrote in 2012 on I CAN GET IT FOR YOU WHOLESALE (1951) with Susan Hayward, George Sanders, and Dan Dailey.

...Colin's latest essay at Riding the High Country is on THE FILE ON THELMA JORDON (1949) starring Barbara Stanwyck and Wendell Corey, directed by Robert Siodmak.

...Coming soon from Kino Lorber Studio Classics: MURDER BY THE CLOCK (1931) starring William "Stage" Boyd (not the William Boyd who played Hopalong Cassidy), Lilyan Tashman, and Regis Toomey...A release date has been firmed up for THE WAR WAGON (1967), coming from Kino Lorber on Blu-ray or 4K. It will be out August 25th.

...Glenn Erickson's new reviews include the Warner Archive Blu-ray release of THIRTY SECONDS OVER TOKYO (1944) starring Spencer Tracy, Van Johnson, and a terrific cast.

...Thoughts on Westerns: Chris Yogerst has written about "10 Classic Western Movies No One Talks About Anymore" for MovieWeb. Although I found the title exaggerated, Chris's opinions are always worth checking out...I also enjoy Hannah Long's reviews and ratings of Westerns at Letterboxd.

...More reviews I've enjoyed recently: Katie Carter takes a look at TOY STORY 5 (2026) at her site Katie at the Movies...DforDoom reviews WRITTEN ON THE WIND (1956) at Classic Movie Ramblings...and at 50 Westerns From the 50s Toby reviewed Errol Flynn in SAN ANTONIO (1945), out on Warner Archive Blu-ray.

...Wish I'd been able to see one of director Guillermo del Toro's presentations on Alfred Hitchcock at the Academy Museum Theater, I've heard good things from several people. Jim Hemphill wrote about it for Indiewire.

...It's always fun to check out the latest movies watched by Phyllis of Phyllis Loves Classic Movies.

 

...Notable Passings: Actor Joby Baker, who worked in films and TV steadily from the '50s through the '80s, has died at 92...British actress Penelope Keith has passed on at 86.

 

...For additional recent links of interest to classic film fans, please visit my June 27th column.

 

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Happy 4th of July!

Happy 250th birthday, America!

This year's Independence Day studio publicity photos feature Piper Laurie. Here's another shot from the same session:

May God continue to bless and protect the United States of America.

Happy Independence Day!

Previous Independence Day photos: 2012 (Susan Hayward), 2013 (Susan Hayward and Virginia Dale), 2014 (Vera-Ellen and Cyd Charisse), 2015 (Ava Gardner), 2016 (Jeanne Crain), 2017 (Debbie Reynolds and Jane Powell), 2018 (Alexis Smith), 2019 (Ann Blyth), 2020 (Ann Miller), 2021 (Penny Edwards), 2022 (Gloria DeHaven), 2023 (Doris Day), 2024 (Joan Caulfield), and 2025 (Carole Landis).

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TCM in July: Highlights

Happy July and Happy Summer!

It's now time for a detailed look at July schedule on Turner Classic Movies.

This post is being published a bit later than usual due to a heavy workload ahead of the holiday weekend. There are lots of fun things ahead this summer on TCM!

July will feature a "theme month" for the Star of the Month programming, featuring "Singers as Stars." Films with a wide variety of singers, with backgrounds in jazz, rock, country, big bands, and more will be featured on Monday evenings.

The TCM Spotlight on Tuesdays features American independent filmmakers.

The July Noir Alley films will be ANGEL FACE (1953) on July 4th and 5th, BLUES IN THE NIGHT (1941) July 11th-12, DARK PASSAGE (1947) on the 18th and 19th, and THEY WON'T BELIEVE ME (1956) on July 25th and 26th.

Eddie Muller's Summer of Darkness, featuring some of the greatest film noir titles of all time, continues on Friday evenings this month. Every title is a classic -- by all means, tune in!

Also of note: John Carpenter has curated and is cohosting evenings of horror films on July 16th and 23rd, and Alicia Malone hosts "Summer Romance" again this month on Sundays.

Here's a look at just some of the interesting programming ahead in July.

...Late on July 3rd is the TCM premiere of AGAINST ALL ODDS (1984), the Jeff Bridges-Rachel Ward remake of OUT OF THE PAST (1947). Jane Greer, star of the original film, is in the supporting cast, along with Paul Valentine, who played Joe in the original.

...The Musical Matinee franchise features 1776 (1972) on Independence Day. Other musicals airing on the 4th are (of course!) YANKEE DOODLE DANDY (1942) and THE MUSIC MAN (1962).

...The Sunday lineup on July 5th includes the very good marital melodrama CASS TIMBERLANE (1947), starring Spencer Tracy, Lana Turner, and Zachary Scott.

...July 6th, the first evening of the "Singers as Stars" series, includes a film I've never seen, NEW ORLEANS (1947), featuring Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong.

...The first Spotlight series evening on American Independent filmmakers on July 7th includes THE HITCH-HIKER (1953), directed by Ida Lupino.

...July 9th features movies set in hot weather, including HEAT LIGHTNING (1934), starring Aline MacMahon, Preston Foster, Glenda Farrell, and Ann Dvorak, among others. A very worthwhile film.

...Myrna Loy, Robert Montgomery, and Ann Harding star in WHEN LADIES MEET (1933) on July 11th. Can't beat that cast!

...There's more Robert Montgomery on July 12th, when he's teamed with Bette Davis in the entertaining JUNE BRIDE (1948).

...July 13th presents a day of films with screenplays by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, including one of my favorite MGM musicals, the colorful GOOD NEWS (1947).

...TCM honors Jill Clayburgh on July 15th, premiering three of her films including the entertaining STARTING OVER (1979), costarring Burt Reynolds and Candice Bergen.

...Ginger Rogers receives a birthday salute on July 16th. The eight films shown include HAVING WONDERFUL TIME (1938), a perfect summertime film, and one of my favorites from her collaboration with Fred Astaire, CAREFREE (1938).

...There's more Ginger on July 17th as party of a lineup about babies and children, with her classic BACHELOR MOTHER (1939).

...Dave Karger's Musical Matinee features Margaret O'Brien in MGM's THE UNFINISHED DANCE (1947) on July 18th. It's an interesting movie with a good supporting cast, including Cyd Charisse, Karin Booth, Danny Thomas, and Elinor Donahue.

...I've never seen the Julie Andrews-Walter Matthau version of LITTLE MISS MARKER (1980), so my DVR will be running when the film makes its TCM premiere on July 19th. Also showing that night: the 1934 Shirley Temple version of the story.

...July 20th features films directed by the great Clarence Brown, including the classic MGM Americana THE HUMAN COMEDY (1943).

...A day of films with the word "lucky" in the title on July 21st includes Ginger Rogers and Ronald Colman in LUCKY PARTNERS (1940). Ginger fans have many chances to enjoy her in July!

...The Val Lewton classic THE LEOPARD MAN (1943) will air on July 23rd. It stars Dennis O'Keefe and Jean Brooks. There's more Lewton that evening, including CAT PEOPLE (1942). Both THE LEOPARD MAN and CAT PEOPLE were directed by Jacques Tourneur.

...It's always a good time to watch THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938)! It airs on July 25th.

...Deborah Kerr and Trevor Howard star in I SEE A DARK STRANGER (1946), also known as THE ADVENTURESS, on July 26th.

...One of my favorite days on the schedule is a dozen "B" films written by Robert E. Kent. Lots of fun stuff to explore, some of the films under an hour long. I called one of the films, BULLET SCARS (1942), a "peach of a 'B' movie," and called I WAS FRAMED (1942) "pleasant." The day also includes an all-time favorite "B," TWO O'CLOCK COURAGE (1945), starring Tom Conway and Ann Rutherford. Tune in June 27th!

...I had the pleasure of revisiting Val Lewton's I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE (1943) at this year's Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival. It stars Frances Dee and Tom Conway, directed by Jacques Tourneur. Conway appears in multiple films on TCM this month, including CAT PEOPLE and TWO O'CLOCK COURAGE. I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE is on July 29th.

...There's a strong day of Edward G. Robinson films on July 30th, including THE STRANGER (1946) with Orson Welles and Loretta Young.

...The month concludes on July 31st with a day of pre-Code crime films including the delightful PENTHOUSE (1933), starring Warner Baxter and Myrna Loy.

For more on TCM in July 2026, please visit my Quick Preview of TCM in July along with TCM's online schedule.

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Tonight's Movie: Under Arizona Skies (1946) and Range Justice (1949) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

I spent my Sunday evening enjoying the Monogram Matinee Volume 3 from the Warner Archive Collection.

This one-disc Blu-ray set features two "B" Westerns, UNDER ARIZONA SKIES (1946) and RANGE JUSTICE (1949), both starring Johnny Mack Brown.

The first film, UNDER ARIZONA SKIES, runs 59 minutes and was directed by Lambert Hillyer.

Brown plays Dusty Smith, who as the movie opens breaks up a crooked card game. Dusty saves money from being swindled from a rancher (Frank LaRue) who's in ill health and is rewarded with the offer of a job. The rancher also hopes that Dusty can rein in his heir to the ranch, hotheaded Bill (Riley Hill).

Before long Bill reforms, to the relief of his fiancee Cindy (Reno Blair), and helps Dusty solve cattle rustlings.

The story, written by J. Benton Cheney from a story by John McCarthy, was the stronger of the two films in the set, and there was also some outstanding black and white location photography, by Harry Neumann; some of the film appeared to be shot at Iverson Movie Ranch.

The film features music by Smith Ballew and the Sons of the Sage. The supporting cast includes Raymond Hatton, Tristram Coffin, and Reed Howes. The cast all go through their paces in expected fashion, though Blair, in her film debut, seems more comfortable on a horse than delivering dialogue.

I'm a fan of Johnny Mack Brown, and while some of his films are better scripted, UNDER ARIZONA SKIES qualifies as a pleasant "B" Western with pleasing ingredients, including striking locations and enjoyable Western music.

RANGE JUSTICE is the shorter of the two films, running 57 minutes. It was directed by Ray Taylor and, like UNDER ARIZONA SKIES, it was filmed by Harry Neumann.

This time around, with a screenplay written by Ronald Davidson, Johnny Mack Brown takes a job working for elderly -- but very feisty -- Ma Curtis (Sarah Padden) and must protect her ranch from the villains.

Johnny Mack's helpful comic relief sidekick in this film is Max Terhune, rather than Raymond Hatton, but there are other familiar faces in the cast; Tristram Coffin is back for this one, and Riley Hill once again plays the younger male lead.

RANGE JUSTICE is fairly run of the mill, but for me any time spent with Johnny Mack Brown is worthwhile.

These are both modest but enjoyable films, shown to their very best advantage here thanks to the Warner Archive Collection.

The prints in this set come from 1080p HD masters from new 4K scans of the "best preservation elements." They look very good, though RANGE JUSTICE's sunlight scenes sometimes seem just a bit overexposed; that may be something inherent in the original print. Sound quality is strong.

Both movies have optional English-language captions; as an aside, Warner Archive fans may be aware that this is an upgrade from the Warner Archive's older Monogram Cowboy DVD Collections, which like most Warner Archive DVDs did not have captions. There are no extras.

I previously reviewed Brown's WESTERN RENEGADES (1949) in the Monogram Matinee Collection Volume 1, and I've also reviewed Monogram Matinee Collection Volume 2, which featured films starring Jimmie Davis and Jimmy Wakely. Here's hoping for more Monogram Matinee sets, and soon!

Thanks to the Warner Archive and Allied Vaughn for providing a review copy of this collection. This set may be purchased from Movie Zyng, Amazon, and other online retailers.

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Tonight's Movie: The Texas Rangers (1936) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Review

THE TEXAS RANGERS (1936), directed by King Vidor and starring Fred MacMurray, has just been released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber.

Vidor also produced and teamed with Elizabeth Hill to cowrite the story; Louis Stevens wrote the screenplay of this 98-minute film. The story was inspired by a book by Walter Prescott Webb.

I'll add off the top that this film is not connected with the 1951 George Montgomery film of the same title, although Montgomery plays a character not too dissimilar from MacMurray's.

In this 1936 film MacMurray, Jack Oakie, and Lloyd Nolan play a trio of outlaws on the Texas frontier; MacMurray and Oakie are separated from Nolan when escaping a posse. Broke and hungry, the two men sign on with the Texas Rangers -- three meals a day! -- thinking their criminal careers will benefit from insider information.

Instead the men are changed by their new jobs -- and in the case of MacMurray, the love of sweet and spunky Jean Parker -- and they decide to stick with law enforcement.

However, they haven't counted on being assigned to go after their old pal Nolan...

It's hard to believe I first saw this film 17 years ago this summer, in August of 2009. I thought it would be worthwhile to revisit it, especially in the light of so many Westerns seen in the intervening years, and was glad to see it again.

When I reviewed it on DVD back then I found it "entertaining," if "a bit pokey," and that's pretty much where I landed this time; I do think I enjoyed it incrementally more now due to the fine Blu-ray print and having developed a greater appreciation for both Jack Oakie and Lloyd Nolan. It's a solid film which was worth a fresh look.

MacMurray is fine as the conflicted Texas Ranger, if a bit dour; it's a relief when his character shows a more lighthearted side in his interactions with Parker.

I particularly appreciated MacMurray's scenes with Nolan near the end, especially a moment where MacMurray tries to warn Nolan off to prevent future conflict. Nolan coming to MacMurray's rescue in a dicey situation is charismatically played, as only Nolan could do, and similarly Nolan's betrayal of an old friend is quite shocking.

Charming Parker livens things up as MacMurray's forthright love interest, and I only wish she'd had a bit more to do, especially as she helps MacMurray's character evolution.

The supporting cast includes Edward Ellis, George "Gabby" Hayes, Bennie Bartlett, and Fred Kohler Sr.

The film has more enthusiastic advocates, but I find it fairly average, though in the context of when it was made, in the pre-STAGECOACH (1939) era, it's polished and has good production values. The location shooting in New Mexico, with sweeping views of some impressive action set pieces, is a real plus.

THE TEXAS RANGERS was filmed in black and white by Edward Cronjager, shown to best advantage in Kino Lorber's outstanding Blu-ray print. It's a 4K restoration by Universal Pictures in collaboration with the Film Foundation, using 35mm nitrate fine grain material. This is definitely the way to see this movie; the excellent visuals really added to my overall enjoyment. I was impressed.

Disc extras consist of two commentary tracks, one by Toby Roan and the other by Heath Holland and Max Allan Collins. Also included are the trailer and a gallery of five additional trailers for other films available from Kino Lorber.

Thanks to Kino Lorber for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray.

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